Metro extension to cost almost double

Transport minister Marc Pons making his presentation yesterday.

Work on extending the Metro from the university to the ParcBit technology park will cost 11.6 million euros, half of this coming from the European Regional Development Fund. The budget for the extension was originally six million. The increased cost is in order to make the service more rapid.

Transport minister Marc Pons gave details of the project during a presentation at the university yesterday which was also attended by President Armengol. He said that the work will start towards the end of the year and will take twelve months to complete. Once operational late in 2020, the journey time from the centre of Palma to ParcBit will take fifteen minutes, while it will be just a two-minute hop from the university to the technology park.

The government anticipates that the extension will result in an additional 225,000 passengers using the Metro each year. At present, some 3,000 people work at ParcBit or go there on a daily basis; almost 90% of journeys are by private means, e.g. cars.

The extension will be 1.4 kilometres and have two tracks; most of the extension will be underground.